This invention relates generally to antenna support structures and, more particularly, to antenna support structures intended to blend in with their surroundings.
Antenna support structures are an increasingly common site in both rural and urban neighborhoods. To many, however, antenna support structures are unsightly and significantly detract from the appearance of the landscape.
Attempts have been made to minimize the problem by supporting a multiple of different antenna receptor members on a single support structure (so as to support multiple carriers and thereby minimize the number of support structures cluttering up the landscape). Such attempts at xe2x80x9cco-location,xe2x80x9d however, have not addressed the fundamental problem regarding the perceived ugliness of the support structures themselves.
Attempts have been made to xe2x80x9cdisguisexe2x80x9d antenna support structures as ordinary trees. However, such previous attempts have been largely unsuccessful. In most cases, the resulting appearance of the antenna support structure is unduly artificial and is, therefore, even more unsightly than an ordinary (undisguised) antenna support structure. In those limited cases where tree disguises provide a relatively authentic tree appearance, the structure is unduly complicated, expensive to build and expensive and awkward to maintain.
Also, such prior art attempts to xe2x80x9cdisguisexe2x80x9d antenna support structures have not addressed the problem of how to provide such antenna support structures with multiple antenna receptor types, so as to allow the antenna support structure to support multiple carriers.
Accordingly, there is a need for an antenna support structure which avoids these problems with the prior art.
The invention satisfies this need. The invention is an antenna support structure comprising (a) a vertical support pole having an upper portion, an intermediate portion and a lower portion, the lower portion being of a color and texture to resemble the trunk of a palm tree, (b) a plurality of antenna receptor members disposed outwardly from the intermediate portion of the support pole, (c) a plurality of green members disposed outwardly about the upper portion of the support pole, the plurality of green members having colors and textures to resemble new palm fronds, and (d) a plurality of drooping members disposed downwardly about the intermediate portion of the support pole, the plurality of drooping members having colors and textures to resemble a palm tree skirt, wherein the plurality of drooping members covers the antenna receptor members, so that the antenna support structure has the outward appearance of a palm tree.
In a typical embodiment, the invention further comprises at least one support member projecting outwardly from the intermediate portion of the support pole. A support lattice is disposed around the support member to provide attachment sites for the plurality of drooping members.